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Lastminute.com to extend carbon offsetting
Lastminute.com plans to extend its carbon offsetting scheme on flights to hotels and dynamic packaging this year.
The initiative, which was introduced in November, has been taken up along with 3,000 bookings and raised about £15,000 to go towards environmental projects around the world.
Lastminute.com director of travel John Bevan, speaking at TravelMole’s green debate, said: “We got to 10% quite quickly and on certain routes it has reached 23%.”
He also highlighted that the cost to the consumer played a vital role with the scheme being taken up on only 4% of US flights compared to 15% of European flights.
Bevan said: “There is a certain level at which people are prepared to pay. It’s down to the industry to educate people and as they realise how important it is to the planet they will think £10 is well spent.”
He denied lastminute.com had introduced the scheme because it had become fashionable to have a green policy.
“Technologically it has been quite a lot of work and we have done it at quite a risk. Consumers have to say ‘yes’, or ‘no’, and in internet terms with every extra step you lose people.”
Consumer research from market intelligence company TripVision shows 25% of the population say green issues are important to them. The profile of the group tends to be older, empty-nesters and slightly weighted towards women.
The research also showed that people were prepared to pay about 6% more to offset the effect of their trips.
Managing director David Jones said: “People do recognise travel contributes to global warming and they want to keep travelling. It’s a serious trend and I think the industry should be coming up with products that are pitched at these people.”
He added that 50% of the population had not even heard of carbon offsetting.
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Report by Linda Fox
Linda Fox
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